In The News

State of the Union address - President Nixon announces that he has been assure that Arab leaders would call an urgent meeting in the immediate future to discuss lifting the oil embargo. The President said that energy is on top of his list of 10 goals for 1974. Also on the list – “an historic beginning on the task of defining and protecting the right of personal privacy for every American.” He also called for a Watergate wind-up.

On Watergate – “The time has come to end the investigation; “one year of Watergate is enough.”

Taxes – No new taxes will be proposed.

A Gallup Poll finds the energy crisis on top of a list of biggest worries. That’s followed by:

High cost of living, dissatisfaction with government/lock of trust in government; corruption in government/Watergate, International problems, Unemployment, Moral decline/lack of religion, Crime/lawlessness.

President Nixon’s daughter Tricia says she has a “sense of outrage” about what she terms unfair attacks on her father. And her husband Edward Cox described Mr. Nixon as victim of “one of the most vicious witch hunts in American history.”

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia is preparing is said to be preparing very important steps aimed at reducing crude oil prices.

General Motors says its 1st quarter output will be 40% below the same period last year. The company is being battered by a slump in large car sales.

ERA - The Georgia legislature rejects the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S Constitution. Rep. Dorsey Matthews said the amendment was “so stinking of Communism it’s just pitiful to think of doing something like this to America.” He said it would “lower our ladies down to the level of men,’ legalize homosexual marriages, require wives to provide 50% of a family’s support and “create havoc in the prisons by preventing segregation of the sexes. So far, 32 states of ratified the amendment; 37 ratifications are necessary to make it part of the constitution. States have until 1979 to act on the amendment.

Sports news – January 25, 1974

Muhammad Ali gets the decision in a 12-round bout with Joe Frazier at a fight at Madison Square Garden. Frazier said he thought he won it.

After his revenge victory over Joe Frasier, Muhammad Ali proclaims himself the hero of the world’s masses. “I am loved all over the earth.” “Mr. Nixon is the President, but he doesn’t have the people behind him. That’s the trouble with the world. When you want to get elected, you go out on the streets, you go into the shops and you talk to the poor people. But when you’re elected, you forge them. Take me. When I am in London, I go into a club – I think it’s called the Cue Club – and I mingle with the poor people. There are people on drugs, down and out. But they know and love me. I am the most famous man in the world, but I don’t lose touch.”

Entertainment/Celebrity/Movie news – January 25, 1974

Linda Blair is making the rounds. “The Exorcist” star was just on the Merv Griffin show. The 15-year-old from Westport, CT has been swamped by attention since the movie was released in December. She played in some commercials and a couple of small movies before the roll. She says she’s seen the movie three times, mostly with her friends. “They forget it’s me.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury is quoted as saying – “I believe there is a genuine demonic possession and genuine exorcism.” Be he adds that authentic cases were extremely rare. He described the current wave of possessions in the wake of the “The Exorcist” as largely “superstitious,” “morbid,” fiddlesticks” and a sign of religious immaturity.”

Playing in Las Vegas –

Juliet Prowse – Desert Inn

Sandler and Young – Flamingo

Roy Clark, Diana Trask – Frontier

Roger Miller – MGM Grand

Tony Bennett, Red Buttons – Hilton

Buddy Hackett – Sahara

Wayne Newton – Sands

Buddy Greco – Thunderbird.

Television news – January 25, 1974

On ABC’s Wide World Special – Dick Clark presents Rock ‘n’ Roll of the ‘60’s. With the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Jan and Dean.